Panicked residents crowd hospital

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite an earlier call from the World Health Organization (WHO) to remain calm, Jakarta residents who had visited Ragunan Zoo or had direct contact with chickens or other birds crowded the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital in Sunter, North Jakarta, on Friday.

The hospital has seen more than 100 people coming of their own volition for checks over the past few days. "Most of them said they had been to Ragunan zoo," said the hospital's deputy director, Sardikin Girisaputro.

Around 30 frightened students from the Ksatria High School in Percetakan Negara, Central Jakarta, for instance, rushed to the hospital after several of their friends had fallen sick after a school tour to the zoo.

Sardikin explained that the hospital's two observation rooms could only accommodate 22 patients at the most, while its ICU facilities could only accommodate three patients.

"So, we can't just receive any patients who feel that they have a fever or respiratory problem as we have limited capacity."

The hospital, which receives patients referred by doctors as well as Jakarta Health Agency, has set a number of stages for dealing with suspected bird flu patients.

Those who get a fever or respiratory problem should go to the nearest hospital or public health center for initial treatment. If there is no improvement in three days, they may be referred to the infectious diseases hospital.

"First of all we check their history of contact with high risk areas and dead poultry. If they show clinical symptoms, we will conduct laboratory tests and x-ray their chest," Sardikin explained.

On Friday, of 18 patients suspected of having been infected with the bird flu virus and being treated in the infectious diseases unit of the hospital, 17 were improving, Sardikin said.

"One of the patients tested positive for typhoid, but we still have to wait for the laboratory tests on bird flu ... only one patient is still in a worrying condition," he said.

Two patients have been tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.

The hospital's director, Santoso Suroso, said that they suggested that a number of the patients, including one of the patients who had tested positive for bird flu, go home as they had recovered completely.

"Several of them no longer have fevers while one of them even asked us to let him go home as he felt completely better," he said.

A seven-year-old patient, who tested positive for bird flu, was also getting better and had been taken of a respirator. (003)